Saint Mary's Magazine Fall 2019 Edition

FALL 2019

12 CILSA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF STUDENT TRANSFORMATIONS

CILSA inspires students to become social justice changemakers.

18 A DEDICATED PROFESSOR IMPACTS BOTH STUDENTS AND SCIENCE

Kenneth Brown ’77 crowns his SMC career as Professor of the Year.

20 PROVOST KASIMATIS ROUNDS OUT LEADERSHIP TEAM New leaders bring more than 130 years of combined experience to SMC.

THE CATHOLIC INSTITUTE FOR LASALLIAN SOCIAL ACTION MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Head, Heart, and Hands

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Read Saint Mary’s magazine online at stmarys-ca.edu/saint-marys-magazine.

Dive into Saint Mary’s social media at stmarys-ca.edu/getsocial.

— WELCOME — ­

Welcome

CILSA, the academic paths, interests, and character of thousands of Saint Mary’s students have been informed, inspired, and enriched through leadership programs and community engagement courses with nearly 100 community partners across the nation and around the globe.”

Sincerely, James A. Donahue President

STEVE BABU L JAK

“As a result of the formation of

Throughout this issue of Saint Mary’s magazine, distinctive representations of our commitment to a transformative education for our students are apparent, and no more so than in the College’s recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA). As a result of the formation of CILSA, the academic paths, interests, and character of thousands of Saint Mary’s students have been informed, inspired, and enriched through leadership programs and community engagement courses with nearly 100 community partners across the nation and around the globe.

The recognition of CILSA’s milestone is timely, as it coincides with the sunset of #300LaSalle, the yearlong commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s entry into eternal life. CILSA’s contributions to the mission of the College, from both an academic and faith perspective, embody the living legacy of the Patron Saint of Teachers.

In addition to acknowledging our many academic distinctions, a talented cadre of new academic leaders, faculty publications, and prestigious awards in our fall edition, we salute in a special way Chemistry Professor Kenneth Brown ’77, the 2019–20 recipient of the College’s Professor of the Year Award, for his scholarship, teaching acumen, and commitment to the Saint Mary’s mission. For more than 35 years, he has nurtured a love of science and discovery in hundreds of Saint Mary’s students.

Importantly, we note the progress of the College’s highly successful Comprehensive Campaign. The College secured $17.2 million in philanthropic support during the past fiscal year, surpassing the prior year by more than $3 million. Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s continues to march confidently toward the completion of its $125 million goal, which will support student scholarships, invest in academic excellence, strengthen our Lasallian Catholic mission, and fund College operations.

Many colleges or universities publicly position themselves as transformative institutions of higher education. It is clear by the many examples presented in this issue, however, that fostering meaningful change in the trajectory of a student’s life is far from a marketing ploy. It is in the very DNA of this university’s liberal arts academic tradition and sparked by our collective commitment to the Lasallian Catholic mission of Saint Mary’s College.

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FEATURES

— CONTENTS — ­

Kenneth Brown ‘77 recognized as 2019 Professor of the Year.

CILSA Celebrates 20 Years of Student Transformations

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The Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action inspires students to become social justice changemakers.

A Dedicated Professor Impacts Both Students and Science Kenneth Brown ’77 crowns his SMC career as Professor of the Year.

Provost Kasimatis Rounds Out Leadership Team

COVER: M I CHAEL CO LLO PY; BROWN: HALEY N ELSO N

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New leaders bring more than 130 years of combined experience to SMC.

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Defining the Future The Campaign for Saint Mary’s continues to change students’ lives through philanthropic support.

STAFF PUBLISHER William Mullen

DEPARTMENTS

2 SPOTLIGHT

Defiant Robots and Photography Take Over SMCMoA This Fall • Distinctions • Professor Alice Baldridge Earns a NASA Grant • Is There a Doctor of Business Administration in the House? • Matthew Zapruder’s Father’s Day • Summer Research Program Expands • SMC Hosts Students for the Young Lasallian Assembly • ILaLS Creates the Brother Camillus Chavez Award • SMC Takes First-Place Poster Award at Business Analytics Competition • We’re Ranked Every Year! Gaels Begin Season at No. 20 • Professor Carl Guarneri Examines Lincoln’s Informer • 156 Gaels Make WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll • Browning Leads USA to Gold at Pan Am Cup • Vocal Science Course Affects Student’s Life • Teachers Embrace Creativity in Science Curriculum • Great Outcomes. Great Students. Great Opportunities.

10 ROUNDTABLE

Who or what inspired you to do the work that you do?

28 ALUMNI

A College President Breaks Barriers • A Can-Do Leader Closes Her Policing Career • Achieving a First at Saint Mary’s College • Alum Follows Her Calling to Iraq • Justice for Peace Corps Veterans • Upcoming Events

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael McAlpin EDITOR Kay Carney ASSOCIATE EDITOR Linda Lenhoff EDITORIAL INTERN Sophia Cipolla ‘20 ART DIRECTOR Gerry Serrano DESIGN Diablo Custom Publishing CONTRIBUTORS Ron Ahnen Dawn Cunningham Amy DerBedrosian James A. Donahue Craig Lazzeretti Patrizia Longo Lisa M. Moore ’96 Jennifer M. Pigza Ginny Prior Ryan Reggiani Sheila Riley Autumn Stephens Mary Volmer Suzi Weissman Saint Mary’s magazine is published twice a year.

Please send status and address changes to info4smc@stmarys-ca.edu and provide a contact number.

Send comments about magazine content to magazine@stmarys-ca.edu.

33 GLIMPSES 36 IN MEMORIAM On the cover: Michael Edeza-Salvant ‘19 serves as a MICAH Summer Fellow in 2018 at Saint Mary’s Center Preschool in West Oakland.

40 VIEWPOINT FALL 2019 1

DEFIANT ROBOTS AND PHOTOGRAPHY TAKE OVER SMCMOA THIS FALL

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art presents two challenging exhibits this fall.

Kal Spelletich’s Significance Machines and Purposeful Robots examines the relationship between robots and humans—and focuses on art and mysticism. Get ready to meet perplexing robots, some in prayer, others ready to tune into your thoughts. This is Spelletich’s first solo museum exhibition, though his work has appeared at the de Young and SFMoMA. A fully illustrated catalogue will feature essays by art critic Anuradha Vikram and S.F.–based curator Tanya Zimbardo.

Come for the robots, but stay for New Formalism in Painting and Photography, in which R&D—Bay Area artists Diane Rosenblum and Joe Doyle—challenge the conventions of abstract painting and representational photography with computer manipulations that warp space and rearrange time. R&D believe that the computer permanently alters the way we can see, shape, and understand the world.

Reshape your own understanding from July 25 through Dec. 8. —Linda Lenhoff

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ONE OF THE BEST

THE PRINCETON REVIEW HAILS SAINT MARY’S AS ONE OF THE BEST 385 COLLEGES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 2020.

Saint Mary’s has once again earned a Colleges That Change Lives Distinction from CTCL.org for 2020.

Payscale.com names Saint Mary’s in the Top 8 percent in the United States for highest earning potential for 2019.

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The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranks Saint Mary’s in the Top 25 percent of U.S. Colleges and Universities for 2020.

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Payscale.com places Saint Mary’s in the Top 10 percent of universities nationwide in return on investment for 2018.

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HALEY N ELSO N

— SPOTLIGHT — ­

U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges ranks Saint Mary’s in the Top 5 Western Regional Universities for 2020.

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DISTINCTIONS

S IS THERE A DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN THE HOUSE?

RO B WAGN ER

Professor Alice Baldridge Earns a NASA Grant Saint Mary’s Professor of Geological Sciences Alice Baldridge’s work is anything but down to earth: She has been chosen to participate in a NASA project, conducting research about the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, Mars, and their near-space environments. In light of Apollo 11’s recent 50th anniversary celebration, Baldridge said the announcement of the new space initiative is extremely encouraging: “The fact that NASA is funding these trips means that they’re serious about going back to the Moon.”

Baldridge will investigate space science and exploration as part of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which will support the project for five years at about $10.5 million per year. The program begins in May 2020.

“The main purpose of our team is to help pave the way for humans to safely return to the Moon and explore, and get back safely to Earth,” said Baldridge. “Another important goal is to further the science that astronauts are able to perform on planetary surfaces by guiding them on how to analyze and interpret remote sensing datasets and field observations.”

Baldridge will serve as a coinvestigator on the Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for the Science and Exploration 2 (RIS4E2) research team.

“We’ve put satellites in orbit around the Moon, around Mars, and we map the composition of the surface, the texture of the surface, the heat properties of the surface. But we also have instruments that the astronauts are going to be using, and we want to be able to tell the astronauts where to go to best look for interesting things: surfaces that have water, heat, or interesting mineral compositions.”

As a result of $116,000 in NASA funding, Baldridge and two undergraduates will conduct fieldwork at a volcanic crater in southern New Mexico and analyze their findings in the labs of Brousseau Hall over the next five years. —Michael McAlpin

The School of Economics and Business Administration (SEBA) is expanding its graduate degree offerings with the new Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (EDBA). The new terminal degree elevates senior business executives into thought leaders in their industries and teaches tools to solve real-world business problems with evidence-based solutions. Graduates of the EDBA program will have the arsenal to identify and address business challenges, and develop scientifically sound solutions.

The EDBA will serve as a catalyst for business practitioners to become credentialed experts in their fields, move toward a more academic track, as well as be appointed to corporate board seats. The EDBA program aims to elevate the professional career to the next executive level.

“We’re very excited to launch the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration, the first doctoral-level program offered in SEBA,” stated Elizabeth Davis, dean of SEBA. “The new doctorate program at Saint Mary’s aligns with our strategic academic program goals and will complement the College’s stellar reputation for academic excellence and innovation.”

Applications are now being accepted for the EDBA program. For more information, go to stmarys-ca.edu/executive-dba.

—Kay Carney

FALL 2019 3

S MATTHEW ZAPRUDER’S FATHER’S DAY

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From left: Professor Joel Burley, Eileanoir Dawson ‘22, Esther Woo ‘20, and Gabriel Ponce ‘21.

Summer Research Program Expands Now in its third year, Saint Mary’s popular 10-week Summer Research Program awarded 21 students the coveted opportunity to gain firsthand experience working on scientific research in close collaboration with a faculty advisor.

Chemistry Professor Joel Burley’s students in Ozone Monitoring for Health and Conservation worked in the lab and in the field to measure ozone levels in remote areas to determine if dangerous levels have been reached. Biochemistry majors Esther Woo ’20, Gabriel Ponce ’21, and Eileanoir Dawson ’22 calibrated ozone monitors in the field. “It’s really important to measure ozone,” said Woo, “since it has direct health effects and to pinpoint sources of pollution.”

In addition, Courtney Robinson ’21, a biology major, and Kathryn Lombardi ’20, an Allied Health Science major, spent their summer with Assistant Professor of Biology Khameeka Kitt-​ Hopper ’02, conducting research on cell migration and adhesion dynamics in cancerous breast cells, in the course Cell Migration and Adhesion Dynamics. “Before you can cure a disease,” said Robinson, “you have to understand all the pieces of the puzzle that fit into it, so we’re focusing on this really small part of what’s going on with the cell, but it has major effects on what is happening overall.”

The program concluded with students presenting posters about their learning experience on Oct. 5 at family weekend. Woo won the Joseph P. McKenna award for best project, for her work titled “Environmental Privilege: Evaluating Air Pollution in Working Class Communities.” Kristen Harnett ’20 and Dante Martin ’20 were runners-up for the award for their work: “Cytotoxicity of BPA Derivatives,” and “Parasite Virulence of Lichenicolus Fungal Infections,” respectively. —Kay Carney and Linda Lenhoff

Z APRU D ER: CO U RTESY O F CO PPER CANYO N PRESS; SUM M ER RESE ARCH: HALEY N ELSO N

Associate Professor of English and the MFA Program Matthew Zapruder’s fifth collection of poetry, Father’s Day (Copper Canyon Press, 2019), presents a lyrical host of thoughts, quandaries, and desperations faced by poetical fathers—and the rest of us—in today’s unsettling times. The titular poem, “Father’s Day,” speaks to a new breadth of concerns for fathers in a world where refugee children haunt our daydreams. “Poem on the Occasion of a Weekly Staff Meeting” and “The Poetry Reading”—in which the author imagines giving a poetry reading in hell—are just two examples of how the author zings us with humor amidst phrases that often evoke a sharp sadness. The collection follows Zapruder’s nonfiction Why Poetry (Ecco Press, 2017) and last poetry collection, Sun Bear (Copper Canyon Press, 2014).

—Linda Lenhoff

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YO U N G L ASALLIAN: HALEY N ELSO N; BROTH ER CA M I LLUS: GERRY SERR AN O

SMC Hosts Students for the Young Lasallian Assembly The Young Lasallian Assembly (YLA), hosted by Saint Mary’s from June 23 through 28, teaches young people about Lasallian values—and how to put them into action. The event, organized by the District of San Francisco New Orleans, attracted more than 300 high school students from Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and the Distrito de México Norte. The students spread out across campus while absorbing important lessons, providing valuable service, and finding their role in Lasallian leadership. SMC’s Maile Shelley ’21 served as an impressive role model for the visitors, illustrating what it means to live a Lasallian life—starting as a student.

“When I was going into my senior year of high school, I was nominated to go to a Lasallian student leaders’ program at Saint Mary’s,” Shelley said. “I got to be on the campus and surround myself with other student leaders. I could really see the sense of community—the experience really made me want to come to Saint Mary’s.”

The 300 participants were recommended by their high schools to participate in the Lasallian assembly. Said Brother Chris Patiño, FSC, director of vocation ministry for the Lasallian District of San Francisco New Orleans, “Participants possess a genuine openness to faith development and growth; have the capacity to catalyze change in their school communities; are open to serve others and exhibit the qualities of servant leadership; strive to model the five Core Principles; represent the diverse profile of their school communities; and are willing to commit to the preparatory and follow-up components of this gathering.”

—Linda Lenhoff and Kay Carney

ILALS CREATES THE BROTHER CAMILLUS CHAVEZ AWARD

Maile Shelley ‘21 has worked with younger students at several Young Lasallian Assemblies.

The Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies (ILaLS) announced the creation of the Brother Camillus Chavez ILaLS Student Award at a festive event on Sept. 25, which also celebrated Brother Camillus’ 90th birthday. The award will provide support for students who are studying Latinx diasporas or Latin America.

Brother Camillus, FSC, has been a key presence on the campus and has influenced the lives of many generations of students at Saint Mary’s. He truly embodies the College’s mission and identity as a liberal arts, Catholic, and Lasallian institution.

“This award celebrates his 44 years at SMC, supports current and future SMC students, and will make even more indelible his legacy,” said Professor Maria Luisa Ruiz, director of the ILaLS. “I am very honored and very surprised, and very gratified by this,” said Brother Camillus. “It’s wonderful. It’s the culmination of a lifetime: 44 years here and this comes up, so I’m very happy about that.”

“The Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies was started about three years ago, basically with the energy of three faculty who wanted to make more present Latino scholarship and scholarship around Latin America at Saint Mary’s, especially given that we finally have HSI [Hispanic-Serving Institution] status,” Ruiz added. “We want to make that central at the College also because it’s part of the mission, embracing diversity in terms of really reflecting the student body.”

The festivities featured Ballet Folklórico, a favorite of Brother Camillus, along with food, poetry, a raffle, and a slideshow featuring Brother Camillus at SMC over the years.

—Linda Lenhoff

FALL 2019 5

S SMC TAKES FIRST-PLACE POSTER AWARD AT BUSINESS ANALYTICS COMPETITION

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Gaels celebrate being ranked No. 20 by the AP to start the season.

From left: Tristin Arce ’19; Ameera Ibrahim, assistant professor of Business Analytics; Noha Elfiky, assistant professor of Business Analytics; Marielle Bernabe ’19; Claire Rogers ’19; Srikar Penumaka ’20.

We’re Ranked Every Year! Gaels Begin Season at No. 20 For the third time in the past four years, Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team opened its season within the Associated Press’ and Coaches Poll’s Top 25. The Gaels grabbed No. 20 in both preseason rankings. The forecast for the Gaels is not surprising: Over the past decade, SMC has had the most successful collegiate basketball team in California, better than schools like Santa Clara, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Pepperdine, and USC. The Gaels were also the subject of coverage in several other publications’ preseason rankings during the offseason, as they returned four starters and nearly 90 percent of their scoring from 2018–19. The team’s core members of Jordan Ford, Malik Fitts, Tanner Krebs, and Tommy Kuhse are all redshirt juniors or older, and the team boasts eight total upperclassmen.

Saint Mary’s was most recently ranked in the final round of voting during the 2017–18 season, where it finished at No. 25.

Randy Bennett’s team achieved the program’s highest-ever AP ranking that year, when it reached No. 11 during the first week of February 2018.

The Gaels will face two other teams listed in the preseason rankings in No. 17 Utah State and No. 8 Gonzaga. The Aggies visit McKeon Pavilion on Nov. 29 while the Gaels and Zags will meet twice in the new year: Feb. 8 in Moraga and Feb. 29 in Spokane for the final game of the regular season.

—Ryan Reggiani

SPO RTS: TO D FI ERN ER

Saint Mary’s team of four undergraduate students won the First-Place Poster Award at the Fifth Annual Business Analytics Competition and Conference at Manhattan College (BAC@MC), a Lasallian sister institution. This is Saint Mary’s second year participating.

Seventeen teams presented their work this year in New York, including 15 national and two international teams. Each worked with real data on a real-life problem, analyzing and optimizing New York State’s goal to reach 50 percent renewable energy reliance by 2030 to meet N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan.

SMC’s Business Analytics students Tristin Arce ’19, Marielle Bernabe ’19, Srikar Penumaka ’20, and Claire Rogers ’19 won first place with their poster, Empowering the Empire State.

“This award is a result of so many days (and nights and weekends) of dedicated work since last February,” said Ameera Ibrahim, assistant professor in the Department of Business Analytics and the team’s faculty advisor.

“My colleague Noha Elfiky and I had the pleasure of advising and coaching our team this year, and we can’t be more proud.”

—Linda Lenhoff

S PROFESSOR CARL GUARNERI EXAMINES LINCOLN’S INFORMER

History Professor Carl Guarneri, who has written extensively about U.S. history utilizing comparative and transnational approaches, turns his careful eye to the American Civil War in Lincoln’s Informer: Charles A. Dana and the Inside Story of the Union War (University Press of Kansas, 2019). As managing editor of the New York Tribune, Dana led the newspaper’s attack on proslavery advocates, then became a special agent for Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, and a confidential battlefront reporter for President Lincoln. Guarneri insightfully examines Dana’s role in military investigations, Lincoln’s reelection, passage of the 13th Amendment, and the rise of Ulysses S. Grant in this fresh contribution to U.S. history. —Linda Lenhoff

BROWN IN G: TO D FI ERN ER

Browning Leads USA to Gold at Pan Am Cup Rob Browning, head coach of Saint Mary’s volleyball, led the U.S. Women’s National Team to its third consecutive gold medal at the Pan American Cup in July, after it swept the Dominican Republic in the championship match.

Team USA (shown below) won every one of its six games in Peru, and five came by way of a sweep. Its toughest contest came against Puerto Rico, ending in a score of 27–25. In the gold medal match, the Dominican Republic tested USA in

the final set, but the U.S. team held on for a 29–27 victory.

“Really impressive that we were able to run through some very good teams unscathed,” Browning told USA Volleyball. “And to finish with this win over a strong Dominican team was perfect. They really didn’t stand a chance the way our team was rolling.”

Browning also headed up the U.S. team at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Aug. 7–11. —Ryan Reggiani

156 GAELS MAKE WCC COMMISSIONER’S HONOR ROLL

A total of 156 Saint Mary’s student-athletes were named to the West Coast Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2018–19 school year. For the eighth consecutive year, over 1,000 WCC student-athletes garnered honors on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll for possessing at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Of the Gaels’ 156 honorees, 36 earned Gold Honors (3.75–4.00 GPA), 37 received Silver Honors (3.50–3.74), and 83 earned Bronze Honors (3.00–3.49). Women’s soccer had the most members recognized on the list with 22, followed closely by men’s soccer and rowing, which each had 21.

Women’s volleyball, men’s golf, and women’s tennis also had over 70 percent of their team making the Honor Roll.

Chloe Goyette ’21 (women’s tennis) and Ellen Burbank ’22 (women’s cross country) posted the highest GPAs among Saint Mary’s student-athletes, with perfect 4.00 averages. Goyette is in the graduate kinesiology program while Burbank finished her freshman year studying biology.

—Ryan Reggiani

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S VOCAL SCIENCE COURSE AFFECTS STUDENT’S LIFE

Teachers Embrace Creativity in Science Curriculum KSOE guest facilitator Janet Chrispeels, EdD, conducts a Center for Environmental Literacy STEAM workshop.

Amy Kahn ‘19 regained use of her voice after working with SMC’s voice training program.

Education professionals got a chance to utilize their inquiring minds when Saint Mary’s Center for Environmental Literacy (CEL) held a free STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) workshop from July 26 to 28. At the 2019 CEL Summer CO-LAB, 15 teachers created a new STEAM lesson or improved an existing one, using Inquiry Design, an innovative, project-based strategy that positions the learner as co-creator and the teacher as a facilitator of knowledge.

The event was hosted by CEL Director and Assistant Professor Luz Casquejo Johnston, an expert in the field of child-centered Montessori education. “This event is hopefully the first of many; we hope to expand the offerings for teacher training in the future,” said Casquejo Johnston.

Teachers hoping to incorporate art or illustration into their science curriculum to strengthen students’ skills in observation, pattern recognition, and innovative problem solving attended the weekend-long event and earned CEU credits.

“I enjoyed going back and forth between new learning and applying it to a unit plan, in a collaborative setting,” said one participant on the anonymous feedback survey.

Specialists from TIDES (Transformative Inquiry Design for Effective Schools and Systems), including Director Janet Chrispeels, joined in the weekend, as did SMC Associate Professor and writer Raina J. León, and Ron Moultrie Saunders, a photographic artist and landscape architect. —Linda Lenhoff HALEY N ELSO N

Amy Kahn ’19 walked across the stage at Saint Mary’s Commencement in May happy because she was graduating—and could raise her voice in celebration.

For years, Kahn has suffered from severe stuttering and a whisper of a voice due to spasmodic dysphonia—a neurological disorder that affects the voice muscles in her larynx. “When I hit about age 50, I started to lose my voice. And by…my later years of 50, I had to stop working,” said Kahn.

At SMC, Kahn met Associate Professor of Music Julie Ford, who directs SMC’s internationally acclaimed choir. Ford thought adjunct Professor Kelly Burge’s new vocal science course, based on Estill Voice Training, might help.

“Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological condition where the mechanisms that draw the vocal folds together and apart spasm, and they seize up,” said Burge.

Kahn’s hard work with Burge paid off. “Kelly worked a miracle in just three months,” said Kahn.

Ford has received the Faculty Development Grant and an Innovative Pedagogy Grant that will help establish Saint Mary’s as an affiliate of Estill Voice Training International. —Mike McAlpin

Great Outcomes. Great Students.

Great Opportunities.

a fan favorite, dominating the court as a rebounder and shot blocker •E mily Van Liedekerke ’19, a Women’s and Gender Studies and Justice, Community, and Leadership major, is working as a recruiting coordinator for Bett’s Recruiting.

• Elisa

Rapadas ’19 is in a PhD program in Social Psychology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Her goal is to ultimately pursue a career in academia.

Connecting Saint Mary’s students to potential employers, internship opportunities, and career development services provides them with increased job opportunities and higher starting salaries upon graduation. Studies have shown that students who have internships are more likely to get hired upon graduation and can move into higher-level roles because of their experience as interns. Similarly, 93 percent of hiring managers reveal that they are more likely to hire a recent college graduate who has had internship experience.

Saint Mary’s graduates and students continue to embrace opportunities that allow them to put their hard-earned acquisition of knowledge to work and to expand their experience into new horizons. The job opportunities and internships found through Saint Mary’s programs serve as a hallmark of students’ success.

The Saint Mary’s Liberal Arts Bridge (LAB) Program, a comprehensive four-year program of professional exploration and development, provides scholarships and links to summer internship opportunities for students to develop potential career pathways, cultivate professional skills, and prepare themselves for employment opportunities following graduation. Since internships with nonprofit and public sector organizations are typically unpaid or minimally resourced, the LAB Program awards scholarships to support liberal arts majors who could not otherwise take them on.

LAB supports and prepares students by giving them structured opportunities to explore their interests and aptitudes, develop relevant skills and credentials, increase self-awareness and self-efficacy, and gain experience that will enable their successful transition to meaningful professional lives.

Saint Mary’s also helps to advance student outcomes through the Accelerated Career Entry Students (ACES) Program. The initiative is a developmental internship program designed to prepare students from diverse backgrounds for robust career paths upon completing their undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s.

The ACES Initiative, for example, is a partnership with Hewlett Packard (HP), a well-known Fortune 100 technology company headquartered in nearby Silicon Valley. The partnership with HP includes: (1) a developmental internship program, (2) a four-year pathway from admission at SMC to professional employment, possibly at HP, (3) rotational assignments in multiple HP departments, and (4) compensated internships.

For the past two years, SMC has also partnered with Cisco on the ACES Program.

HIGHLIGHTED ARE A FEW STUDENT OUTCOMES: • Yolanda Sanchez ’19 joined the accounting firm of KPMG. Sanchez was part of SMC’s High Potential Program and the first in her family to graduate from college.

• Jordan Hunter ’19 is playing professional basketball for the Sydney Kings in Australia. He wrapped up his SMC career as

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THE 2019 LAB INTERNSHIP SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE ALSO MAKING THEIR MARK: •D iana Carey ’21, a Design and Technical Theatre major, had an internship with Park Playhouse in Albany, N.Y. LAB Award: $2,000.

• Jemiya Jacob ’22, a Justice, Community, and Leadership major, interned as a MICAH Fellow at Genesis in Oakland.

LAB Award: $2,000.

• Allison Johnson ’20, a Philosophy major, interned with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. LAB Award: $1,500.

•A ngela Rascon ’22, an Ethnic Studies and Spanish major, interned as a teaching fellow with Breakthrough Silicon Valley. LAB Award: $2,500.

•A na Marie Sanchez ’19, an Art History major, interned with the Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. LAB Award: $1,500.

• S hane Trimble ’21, a Politics major, interned as a volunteer organizer with Action in Montgomery (AIM), in Montgomery County, Md. LAB Award: $2,500.

For more information, visit stmarys-ca. edu/LAB. —Kay Carney LAB scholarship recipients, from top: Allison Johnson, Ana Marie Sanchez, Angela Rascon, Diana Carey, Jemiya Jacob, Shane Trimble.

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Sonya Schuh, PhD Associate Professor of Biology I have always been fascinated by life, animals, nature, and how things work.

How does a one-cell embryo become a complete individual made up of trillions of cells? How does the heart beat? I was a curious and slightly mischievous kid, so the natural path for me became science. Amazing parents who encouraged my inquisitiveness, along with a few enthusiastic and eccentric teachers, helped cultivate my love of life and biology. As a Biology professor at SMC for the last six years, and over 20 years of studying reproductive biology and physiology, I get to share my passion to inspire students to become good, compassionate scientists, doctors, clinicians, leaders, and citizens of the world.

— RO U N DTA B L E ­—

Brother Thomas Jones EdD, FSC Psychologist, CAPS The adults we meet as children and adolescents often inspire us to live lives that make a difference for others. This was the case with me when, at 13 years of age, I met the men who called themselves Brothers.

For the next four years, I interacted with these men as teachers and mentors, and at the age of 17 dedicated my life to the ministry of education to the young, as inspired by the life and vision of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. Even today at Saint Mary’s College, I am inspired by the power of forming communities of learners who recognize the presence of God and each other in their lives.

Adam Cooper Head Coach, Men’s Soccer I have been incredibly fortunate to be inspired by many people.

Both of my grandfathers are my inspiration for good, honest, hard work. My mother showed me how to show compassion, how to be strong in the face of adversity, and how to really love. My martial arts teacher taught me how to teach, to be detailed in everything I do. My high school soccer coach showed me the psychological side of dealing with people, how to motivate and inspire others.

My college soccer coaches helped me to get into coaching, and my godmother taught me the power of believing in yourself.

THE TOPIC

Who or what inspired you to do the work that you do?

James Johnson, PhD Interim Director, Educational Technology During my undergrad and graduate studies at Cal State University Long Beach, my career counselor, Dr. Robin Lee, mentored/pushed me. During that time, Barack Obama utilized this new technology called New Media to get elected. Dr. Lee encouraged me to pursue my doctorate as I became increasingly interested in human-computer interaction (HCI) and how race, class, and gender complicate HCI. My current work and research extend to innovating our Educational Technology Ecosystem here at Saint Mary’s College.

Anne Carpenter, PhD Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies I found myself in a master’s program in theology at Marquette University. One of my professors, Robert (Bob) Masson, asked if I’d pursue a PhD in theology. I was surprised. I had never thought myself smart enough for it. But Bob was generous and encouraging to me at every step as I did indeed get that PhD. I began to want to be not just a good scholar, but also a good teacher and mentor, because Bob had encouraged me to be more than I thought I was. So that is why I do what I do.

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Eddie Ventura ’20 Business Major, Lasallian Peer Minister for Lasallian Education and Formation I am inspired by my mother and her story of coming to the United States. She always emphasized quality education. As a single parent, my mom works endless hours and at times worked multiple jobs to support me. I have been inspired to pursue a quality education that goes beyond the “four walls” of the institution and/or text: an education that develops lifelong learners in our social context. It is also important to me to participate in service learning, values upheld by Saint Mary’s Lasallian, Catholic, and liberal arts traditions. This is why I chose the College and to pursue a degree in business—to honor her and her efforts.

Ameera Ibrahim, PhD Assistant Professor of Business Analytics My older brother was an engineering professor; he was my mentor and my role model. I remember our conversations about the power of computers and the ways they can help mankind. He planted the love of computers in me, so growing up I knew I would major in computer science. Although he passed away before I graduated, his passion continued to inspire me when I chose my academic career. Sharing knowledge and making an impact in people’s lives were his main life goals. I am very glad that I not only kept his legacy, but I also love and enjoy every bit of it as a career.

People often define themselves by their work, career, or vocation. As we reach the end of the #300LaSalle celebration in honor of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, whose dedication to education and the poor inspires Saint Mary’s mission, we asked some of our community members about who or what inspired them to pursue their career and the work they do today.

Everett Louis, PhD, EdTPA Coordinator, Kalmanovitz School of Education Though I have always been drawn to mathematics, the arts, and working with youth, I did not realize I wanted to be a teacher until I started taking upper-division math courses.

My professors, though kind and knowledgeable, did not make learning fun or relevant; mathematics felt abstract and impersonal. So, when I graduated, I vowed to be a different kind of teacher. Now, 20 years later, I train teachers using storytelling and the arts with the goal of making math feel new and enjoyable.

April Bojorquez Curator, Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be an archaeologist. My parents, not knowing anything about archaeology, registered me for an archaeology class at a local museum. This was my first museum memory. Serendipitously, my first job after college was at this very museum. These experiences inspired me to pursue a career in museums. Through these experiences, I witnessed the ability of museums to inspire curiosity, create lifelong learning, build community, teach tolerance, and reimagine the world. These experiences guide my curatorial practice and continue to inspire me today.

Shanel Singh ’17 Sociology Major, Women’s and Gender Studies Minor Throughout my career, my goal has been to empower and enable others to realize their full potential regardless of their circumstances. I am inspired to help decrease the opportunity gap through direct service because of the mentorship and opportunities I received from my communities at KIPP, SMASH Academy, and Saint Mary’s. More so, my achievements would not be possible without my parents’ sacrifice to create a life here in the United States.

Their willingness to navigate through unfamiliar systems, cultures, and experiences led me where I am today.

FALL 2019 11

BY CRAIG LAZZERETTI

CILSA Celebrates 20 Years of Student Transformations 12

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CILSA inspires students to work toward social justice and civic engagement—at home and abroad.

MICHAEL COLLOPY

I

MICAH fellow Abeal Simmons ’17 teaches at the Alameda Point Collaborative after-school program.

f not for the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA), Yusuf Nessary ’13 likely wouldn’t be running a nonprofit out of Houston that builds water well systems, schools, and sustainable farming initiatives in Africa and the Middle East. Ryan Villegas ’18 doubts he would be teaching middle school students Latin in Arizona. And Tiffany Hickey ’10 might have found herself in a career far different from fighting for affordable housing rights as a Bay Area public interest attorney.

They are just three among the thousands of Saint Mary’s College students whose lives have been transformed over the past 20 years by CILSA’s far-reaching efforts in the areas of social justice and civic engagement—efforts that have brought to life the words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle: “To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can perform.”

CILSA has inspired alumni such as Villegas, Nessary, and Hickey to find their passion in affecting the lives of others, whether in an American classroom, a Rwandan village, or an affordable housing unit in San Francisco.

“They taught me how to find my vocation,” said Villegas, who was inspired to teach through his CILSA experiences, including work with formerly homeless youths at the Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) and with the Jumpstart preschool program in Oakland. “I found that the dynamic of mentorship was something that I loved, and it was something that I was totally new to.”

The institute, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, encompasses a broad range of community engagement and social justice initiatives that affect nearly 30 percent of undergraduate students each year. CILSA’s work includes the FALL 2019 13

educational programs Jumpstart and Monument Corps for Middle School Success, MICAH Summer Fellowship, Public Service Internship, Engaged Learning Facilitators, and centralized support and training for faculty and students in community engagement courses. The approach is grounded in the image of head, heart, and hands. During the 2018–19 academic year, CILSA engaged 935 students over 58,655 hours.

For Nessary, a child of Afghan refugees, CILSA fundamentally altered his career ambition after he entered Saint Mary’s as a pre-med student.

“The most prestigious role you can have as a child of an immigrant refugee is becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer,” said Nessary, who grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Instead, after volunteering through Jumpstart and taking a CILSA–taught January Term class in Rwanda, he changed his major to sociology. Today, Nessary runs Zam Zam Water, a nonprofit he founded five years ago. In that time, it has created over 90 water projects on two continents, helped cultivate 450 farms, and built four schools.

“When I started with Jumpstart, I

knew I wanted to end up in the nonprofit sector,” Nessary said. “I could see myself in those children.”

Hickey found her inspiration through a variety of CILSA roles, which included working with an advocacy project in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district run by students at UC Hastings College of the Law. Today, her law career focuses on tenants’ rights and subsidized housing issues for Bay Area Legal Aid. “CILSA really got me out working with people and talking with people, and learning about their lives and experiences in a way you can’t get from a textbook,” she said. “That’s when I really got to understand the historical justice issues in the Bay Area, as well as talking to people about what their needs were and their wants were, and what their communities saw as solutions, and how I could possibly fit into those solutions in some way.”

Like Villegas, Nessary, and Hickey before them, current Saint Mary’s students utilize CILSA to explore what ultimately will inspire their vocation and purpose.

Sophomore Jemiya Jacob ’22 recently completed the eight-week MICAH (Mulvaney Immersion Communities for Action

Public interest attorney and former CILSA student leader Tiffany Hickey ’10.

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and Humility) Summer Fellowship, another of CILSA’s signature programs. A joint initiative between Saint Mary’s and the University of San Diego, MICAH allows fellows to live among the community members they serve, working together either in the Bay Area or Tijuana, Mexico.

Jacob lived at the Alameda Point Collaborative, where she gained an appreciation for the complexities of homelessness, and worked at the Oakland communityorganizing nonprofit Genesis, where she discovered the role of restorative justice in addressing crime, something she had never seen in her hometown of New Orleans.

“I didn’t know what restorative justice was until I got to Genesis,” said Jacob, who is majoring in Justice, Community,

STEVE BABU L JAK

CILSA MICAH fellow Ryan Villegas ’18 tending the Alameda Point Collaborative garden.

“

vision is CILSA’s that we are

M I CHAEL CO LLO PY

working toward the day when all people collaborate to enact justice, inclusion, and sustainability in all aspects of life.”

—CILSA DIRECTOR JENNIFER M. PIGZA

and Leadership. “I’m also trying to figure out how I want to impact my home when I get back from college. I really feel that restorative justice is the way to go, and Genesis helped me to see that.

“I think one of my biggest takeaways is how we can relate to one another and how we can come together to make our society a better place.”

Doug Biggs and Brandy Muniz, Alameda Point Collaborative’s executive director and director of fund development, respectively, credit their 15-year collaboration with CILSA for much of the growth and success of the collaborative—from establishing the community’s urban farm to constructing greenhouses to developing its volunteer-management programs.

“We’re hosting the most families we’ve ever had, fundraising the most money we ever have,” Muniz said. “That’s been directly from their work,” specifically the MICAH fellows and AmeriCorps VISTA members that have come via CILSA. Biggs adds, “We’re able to see a lot more youth going to college; we’re seeing them do better in school…. It’s a direct result of working with MICAHs and other Saint Mary’s students.”

As CILSA staff and their associates are quick to point out, the benefits of working with communities such as APC have flowed both ways. A cornerstone of CILSA’s philosophy is to approach community engagement as a double benefit: for students and for the communities in FALL 2019 15

which they serve.

Truyen Tran, Jumpstart’s senior director of programming, can vouch for the results.

Jumpstart has been a CILSA signature program for nearly 15 years. While preschoolers from high-poverty families gain early literacy and social-​emotional skills, the Saint Mary’s students find inspiration in the resilience of the children, she said.

“When people ask what is the magic of Jumpstart, it is really that bond between the members and children they work with,” she said. “There’s a real reciprocity they’re able to develop in their relationship with the children over the year.”

It’s a sentiment that aligns perfectly with the verse from the Book of Micah (6:8) that lies at the heart of all that CILSA 16

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does. “And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” For CILSA Director Jennifer M. Pigza, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly means faculty, staff, and students must ask hard questions as they build relationships with communities.

“CILSA’s vision is that we are working toward the day when all people collaborate to enact justice, inclusion, and sustainability in all aspects of life.

To work toward this vision with integrity, we need to approach internal and external partners with deep listening and wide-awakeness to the ways that power and oppression affect the work,” she said.

Perhaps that’s one reason the word

“

I didn’t know what restorative justice was until I got to Genesis. I’m also trying to figure out how to impact my home when I get back from college. I feel that restorative justice is the way to go.”

—JEMIYA JACOB ’22

M I CHAEL CO LLO PY

MICAH fellow Jemiya Jacob ‘22 served vulnerable populations in Oakland.

courses where academic learning is linked to community-based activities. CILSA leads faculty development, coordinates partnerships with nonprofit organizations and schools, and centralizes administrative functions associated with liability.

CILSA has helped make it possible for Political Science Professor Patrizia Longo to teach the Politics of Food Justice by having students work with a nonprofit that harvests excess fruit. It has helped Chemistry Professor Steve Bachofer work with students to conduct soil and lead testing at APC to ensure the land is safe for families. With the support of CILSA, 35 faculty members taught 52 courses with community engagement components in 2018–19. These collaborations with faculty have exponential effects on both the curriculum and those who teach it.

Bachofer has built on the soil and lead paint testing work that CILSA helped facilitate to create an urban environmental class from “the ground up.”

Longo was one of the first faculty members to incorporate community engagement into her coursework, partnering with organizations in areas such as gender politics, restorative justice, and economic justice. She said CILSA has been invaluable in helping her to foster and sustain such partnerships. “It was

help is nonexistent at Zam Zam Water.

“Service is about a two-way street; it’s about a conversation,” Nessary said.

“That’s the one aspect I learned the most about at CILSA and use to this very day.”

While CILSA’s work is easily evidenced in the transformation of students in its signature programs, most Saint Mary’s students experience CILSA through its support of community engagement courses and the evolution of Saint Mary’s curriculum. Eight years ago, the undergraduate faculty voted for community engagement to become a component of the required Core Curriculum. Since that time, CILSA staff and student leaders have provided essential support to faculty, community partners, and students in

a dream come true,” she said. “I finally had the resources to do something more in-depth and valuable.”

Through long-standing collaborations with CILSA and its own faculty’s inspiration, the Justice, Community, and Leadership Program claims community engagement as a central focus of the major—for which it has earned national recognition. Department Chair and former Chair of the Faculty Senate Monica Fitzgerald shared that working with CILSA and teaching with community engagement “has totally transformed my teaching and the way I think about student learning.”

That’s a far cry from 1999, when Saint Mary’s had only a few professors teaching courses that incorporated service learning, said Vice President of Mission Frances Sweeney, who was pivotal in CILSA’s creation. “It continues to grow and stay true to its purpose of deepening and widening this culture of equity and justice and service,” she said.

For students and faculty alike, CILSA’s legacy may be best summed up by the lasting impact it leaves on not only their views of the world but their role in shaping it.

As Hickey explained: “Once you peek behind the curtain, you can’t really go back.”

Yusuf Nessary ’13, former CILSA Jumpstart leader and founder of the nonprofit Zam Zam Water.

FALL 2019 17

BY AMY DERBEDROSIAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY HALEY NELSON

A Dedicated Professor Impacts Both Students and Science Kenneth Brown ’77 crowns his SMC career as Professor of the Year.

A

t first, Professor of Chemistry Kenneth Brown was surprised to learn Saint Mary’s College had named him Professor of the Year for 2019–2020. He had been phasing into retirement for over five years, and this would be his final year at the College.

Surely, he thought, there was someone more deserving of the honor.

Brown reacted more positively when told the recognition was for the entirety of his 36-year SMC faculty career. Still, he said, “I see myself as a worker bee, even in my teaching.”

The accolades of his former students and current faculty colleagues contradict this view. Student evaluations describe him as “very enthusiastic about students succeeding and understanding the material” and “the most caring professor I have ever had.”

“It would appear he was custom built for his role: His depth of knowledge was tempered by his humble demeanor,” said Daniel Dobson ’14. “Seeking help on academics as well as life always felt like talking to a father. Like a father, the love he displayed was always evident: love for the school, love for his students, and love for learning.”

Professor of Chemistry Jeffrey Sigman characterized Brown by using several single-word descriptions: Honest.

Principled. Kind. Cheerful. Generous.

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Dependable. He added, “These attributes obviously contribute to Ken’s outstanding abilities as a teacher. They have also made him what I consider to be a model faculty colleague, especially in his role as a leader and mentor.”

Brown first came to the College as an undergraduate student, earning a chemistry degree in 1977. After completing a PhD at the University of California, Los Angeles, he returned to SMC, this time as a faculty member.

“When I was a fair way through my graduate program, I realized teaching would be something I’d really enjoy. My own experience at Saint Mary’s was one I valued highly,” said Brown.

In the 1980s, Brown and Biology Professor Margaret Field started a summer science research program for students that continues today. He considers this accomplishment important for fostering student development and as one of his two lasting contributions to SMC—the other is helping to create the biochemistry major.

A number of students he mentored during the summer or independent study have gone on to graduate school or corporate positions in chemistry, including Robert Kuimelis ’89, Brown’s first student researcher. Now vice president of chemistry for the DNA diagnostics firm InSilixa, Kuimelis noted, “The experience cemented my decision to pursue graduate

studies and, ultimately, a career in chemistry research. On a practical note, I found myself well ahead of my peers in the lab when I started a PhD program in chemistry.”

Brown’s research focuses on mechanistic organic chemistry, specifically the stereoselectivity of chemical reactions.

He has most frequently taught organic chemistry, which he loves.

“Organic chemistry involves three to four distinct ways of thinking because there are three to four identifiable problems to be solved. It forces students to think in ways they don’t in other types of classes. It’s a really good course for the

“

I was a fair When way through my

graduate program, I realized teaching would be something I’d really enjoy. My own experience at Saint Mary’s was one I valued highly.”

—PROFESSOR KENNETH BROWN ‘77

development of their minds,” said Brown.

Teaching lab courses is another of his passions. Brown explained, “Lab allows you to work with your head and your hands. It combines the things I like about doing science myself: conceptual reasoning, mathematical tools, and experimental skills. I enjoy watching students work in the lab. It’s a place where their innate curiosity can come out.”

Brown has also taught January Term courses on environmental science topics and Collegiate Seminar. For many years, he was the chair of the Department of Chemistry, serving so well that his colleagues joke that they would gladly

give him a lifetime appointment.

But now, his time at the College is coming to a close. Brown will teach one lab course this fall and another two in the spring. Then, he will leave not only SMC but California, relocating with his wife to the Pacific Northwest to be near their two sons. A lover of the outdoors, Brown plans to continue favorite activities such as hiking, camping, and backpacking.

He will also volunteer, explaining, “I want to take the particular skills I have— teaching science and mathematics—and work as a tutor to high school students or community members. I don’t think I can give up teaching.”

FALL 2019 19

BY K AY CARNEY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY HALEY NELSON

S

aint Mary’s College continues to hire the best and the brightest, and the leadership team that Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Margaret Kasimatis has assembled is an elite class of higher education professionals. The five new hires and two promoted administrators have, combined, more than 130 years of stellar experience in higher education. “The high level of experience, talent, vision, and extraordinary leadership that this team brings to Saint Mary’s bodes well for the College,” said Kasimatis. “These leaders are already having a positive impact on the College, which is a testament to their deep understanding of the mission, as well as their ability to articulate a vision and build collaborations.”

Members of the new leadership team were welcomed during a reception held in their honor on Oct. 3, 2019. Kasimatis introduced each new hire and provided a brief overview of their new roles and responsibilities, as well as their professional background. “As I embarked on all these searches last year, more than one person questioned if I could complete all these important searches in one year,” stated Kasimatis. “My response was: I got this. I will get you brilliant people who will understand Saint Mary’s; who will be committed to the unique Lasallian

Provost Kasimatis Rounds Out Leadership Team New leaders bring more than 130 years of combined higher education experience to SMC. 20

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First row: Elizabeth Davis, dean of SEBA; Megan Mustain, vice provost for Student Academics and dean of the Core. Second row: Carol Ann Gittens, dean of KSOE; William Mullen, vice provost of Enrollment and Communications. Third row: Corey Cook, vice provost for Academic Programs and Planning; Kathy Littles, associate provost for Faculty Affairs and senior diversity officer; Lauren MacDonald, dean of the Library and Academic Resources, and director of the Museum of Art.

Catholic liberal arts mission of the institution; who will have a deep understanding of the challenging and rapidly changing landscape of higher education; who will be strategic thinkers; and most importantly, who will be able to work effectively with faculty and staff across the College.”

Elizabeth Davis, PhD, is Saint Mary’s new dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration (SEBA).

Davis came to Saint Mary’s from the University of San Francisco (USF), where she served as dean of the School of Management and was responsible for financial management, academic accreditation, fundraising, board leadership, and marketing. Davis was the first female dean in the school’s history.

“Saint Mary’s is a really very, very special place in the Bay Area. As someone who has been in the Bay Area for the past five years, I’ve known so much about Saint Mary’s, but to actually be here and be at the helm of the business school is a real privilege,” stated Davis. “The faculty are really very agile; they’re funny; they are good scholars; and the students are absolutely amazing. So, I feel that this is going to be a really exciting year for the school in developing a strategic plan and moving us forward.” Davis’ experience also includes serving for two years as a tenured professor of management and dean for the College of Business at the University of New Haven.

In her role as SEBA dean, Davis provides strategic direction and vision to advance the school’s academic excellence, promote faculty development, advance fundraising, strengthen alumni engagement, and foster external relationships and partnerships in the greater Bay Area and beyond. Having taught at two Jesuit institutions, Davis’ principles are deeply aligned with Saint Mary’s Lasallian Catholic mission.

Carol Ann Gittens, PhD, serves as the new dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education (KSOE). Gittens comes to Saint Mary’s from Santa Clara University, where her robust experience and visionary leadership to advance innovative, high-quality, accessible, and dynamic programs within diverse and thriving academic environments have

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“

leaders are These already having a

positive impact on the College, which is a testament to their deep understanding of the mission, as well as their ability to articulate a vision and build collaborations.”

—PROVOST MARGARET KASIMATIS

been highly successful. “I am thrilled to be at Saint Mary’s College as the dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education. In KSOE, we prepare highly sought-after visionary academic and community leaders, effective classroom teachers, and compassionate mental health practitioners,” stated Gittens. “I look forward to broadening our impact and increasing access through diversified programming, online and hybrid options, and attracting funding to make our programs affordable to those who want to join our community.” Gittens also served in several leadership positions at Santa Clara University, where she was highly regarded for her strong commitment to social justice, inclusive excellence, and transformative learning in support of educational equity, collaboration, community engagement, and academic excellence.

Kathy Littles ’92, PhD, is the inaugural associate provost for Faculty Affairs and senior diversity officer, a newly established position at the College. Littles, a Saint Mary’s alumna, comes to the College from the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS), where she served as dean of the School of Consciousness

and Transformation and director of the Transformative Inquiry Department.

Her tenure of leadership experience includes diversity and inclusion, and arts and culture in higher education. Her work has been characterized by a focus on education of the whole person. “I love this work. I love that it brings out the humanness in people. I love that it allows space for possibilities, for change, growth, and transformation. And that’s what I hold in the everydayness of my job, that there always needs to be room for change and transformation for everybody,” said Littles. “My goal is to make us a university that other universities can look to in terms of leadership in diversity and inclusion. Because my role holds both faculty affairs and diversity and inclusion, I’m in a real unique position to forge some new initiatives in terms of faculty support and training.”

Littles has held faculty positions at the University of California at Davis, Berkeley City College, and the College of Marin. As an alumna of Saint Mary’s, she possesses a strong commitment to the Lasallian Catholic liberal arts mission of SMC. Corey Cook, PhD, serves as the College’s vice provost for Academic Programs and Planning. A distinguished higher education administrator and scholar, Cook provides leadership and coordination in academic program planning and review, strategic planning, educational effectiveness, organizational learning, global learning, and community engagement. “This is a remarkable institution and a place that I’ve long admired. I was at USF for a long time and had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues here at Saint Mary’s College, and I’ve always deeply admired the transformative educational opportunities that the students have at this university,” stated Cook. “In my role, I get to work on the strategic planning process, which is exciting work; and I work with faculty to build academic programs that will meet the needs of the next generation of Saint Mary’s College students.”

Cook comes to Saint Mary’s from Boise State University, where he was the founding dean of the School of Public Service and a professor of political science. Prior

to Boise State, he served at the University of San Francisco for nine years as an associate professor of politics and notably led USF’s community engagement efforts as the director of the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good.

William Mullen, EdD, is the vice provost of Enrollment and Communications. Mullen brings a wealth of strategic leadership experience in both enrollment management and communications to the College. He most recently served as the vice president of Enrollment Management and Marketing at Franklin University in Lugano, Switzerland. His higher education leadership also includes serving as vice president of Enrollment Management at Augsburg University and vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “In my role as vice provost of Enrollment Management and Communications, I’m focused on the opportunities that Saint Mary’s College can offer students, the different things that we can do as a campus, and new opportunities that will appeal to new students,” stated Mullen. “My goals are to enable more students to have exposure to Saint Mary’s and to let them know what a great educational opportunity they can and will have at the College.”

Mullen’s achievements include increasing student diversity, designing and implementing a new external website, creating a new financial aid leveraging model, and increasing transfer student enrollment through the development of partnerships with community colleges. His commitment to student success is evidenced by his fundraising for student scholarships, work on improving student retention, and extensive teaching experience.

Megan Mustain, PhD, serves as vice provost for Student Academics and dean of the Core, having been recently promoted to this position. “With this new role comes some new responsibilities, including working to ensure the success of all our students, both graduate and undergraduate,” stated Mustain. “I’m really excited about my promotion to this position, mostly because I’ve seen the need for an excitement about reaching across the College to do our work

together, and this position allows me to do that really well.”

Part of Mustain’s role at Saint Mary’s is to oversee projects that impact the Core Curriculum—for example, ensuring that the class schedule gives undergrads access to the Core classes they need, a logistical and negotiating process that Mustain compares to assembling a “giant Jenga puzzle.” Her big-picture view and task is to lead Saint Mary’s in evaluating how well the Core programs are serving the students and meeting their educational ideals. “I want folks to think of me as a thought partner. I am excited to hear all of the voices across campus—faculty, students, administrators, and staff.”

Lauren MacDonald, MSLIS, is dean of the Library and Academic Resources

“

goal is to make My us a university

that other universities can look to in terms of leadership in diversity and inclusion. Because my role holds both faculty affairs and diversity and inclusion, I’m in a real unique position to forge some new initiatives in terms of faculty support and training.”

—ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND SENIOR DIVERSITY OFFICER KATHY LITTLES

and director of the Museum of Art. MacDonald’s appointment follows a very successful year of serving as interim dean. Her accomplishments during that year include renovations in the Library that created additional study spaces for students and a dedicated reading room in the College Archives; the formation of the Open Access and Open Educational Resources Task Force for the collection and curation of digitized scholarly resources; and the completion of a work plan for the implementation of Scholar Pages in Saint Mary’s Institutional Repository, Digital Commons. At the museum, MacDonald oversaw the remodel of the museum lobby and the creation of new staff offices; the implementation of a robust Outreach and Education program that has included over 50 public programs and events during the academic year; and the addition of 14 works of art through donation and acquisition. She has also played a central role in the revitalization of fundraising efforts for the new Library and Innovation Center.

MacDonald believes that the Library is the nexus of the College, where student learning and research and faculty research for teaching and scholarship are supported, and she views librarians as educators and partners in the educational mission of the College.

“Our role is to develop informationliterate learners who can locate, access, and use information for academic success, research, and lifelong learning. As collaborators in learning, the Library creates inclusive and sustainable collections, services, and spaces,” stated MacDonald.

“Similarly, the Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art supports the College’s mission to develop the whole person. We are committed to stimulating the intellect and the imagination through exhibitions, collections, and programs. The museum promotes visual literacy as part of a broader, comprehensive education and is dedicated to creating an environment where the College community and the general public learn from a direct experience with art.”

Kasimatis summed up the College’s new team: “I’ve already received a lot of positive feedback about our new leaders.

Their energy and tenure of experience is making a difference.”

FALL 2019 23

DEFINING THE FUTURE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAINT MARY’S CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

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SMC Parents Launch Neurodiverse Student Success Fund

Coordinator of Student Disability Services Devin Toma, Assistive Technology Coordinator Auston Stamm, SDS Operations Coordinator Cami West, and Director of Student Disability Services Julie Scaff.

A steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence, to providing all students with equitable opportunities to succeed and serve, lies at the heart of Saint Mary’s mission. This commitment is especially significant for students with diverse learning profiles and social challenges. An innovative campaign gift from Steve and Maria James helps ensure that neurodiverse students have every opportunity to succeed at college and in their careers.

Neurodiverse students include those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Across the nation, learning disabilities like these affect 10 percent of the population. While neurodiverse students often excel in specific disciplines, they are less likely to complete college than their peers and frequently struggle to launch careers. Saint Mary’s has long helped neurodiverse students overcome academic challenges with coaching, a distraction-free testing center, and other accommodations.

GERRY SERR AN O

The impact of Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s is palpable. Our students are thriving academically, our student-athletes are witnessing success against growing competition, our faculty members are bringing innovative research and teaching to the classroom, and Saint Mary’s is making its mark on the greater Bay Area and beyond by serving the common good. Each of these areas has benefited directly from the Campaign.

Since The Campaign for Saint Mary’s was publicly announced in April 2018, an additional $21 million has been secured, and we’re now at $124 million.

These investments have made Saint Mary’s a stronger and more robust community.

As you continue reading, you’ll be inspired by the stories of two recent donors who joined in this Campaign because they believe in Saint Mary’s College and are committed to the success of our students.

❯❯

$27M TOWARD A $30M GOAL FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Among these students was Steve and Maria James’ son, who recently graduated. “Saint Mary’s provided small classes and an accepting, open-minded environment where our son could grow and get a great education,” Maria said. He benefited from the accommodations provided by the Student Disability Services Office, had a student job there, and participated in the campus DiversAbilities Club.

At a dinner organized by Student Disability Services staff, the Jameses met other parents of students with learning differences and social pragmatics needs, and began a discussion about how to improve outcomes for these young adults—a discussion they continued with SMC representatives in the following months.

“We realized staff were very committed to student success and had good ideas about how to help our kids, but they didn’t have the resources to put together an integrated program of support,” Steve recalled. “Maria and I told them, ‘We’re in a position to help you do this.’ ” Working with College staff, Steve and Maria established the Neurodiverse Student Success (NSS) Fund to support four years of programming. “Our collaboration with the College was a productive conversation. They listened carefully to what we had to say, built upon our ideas, and were eager to implement them,” Steve said.

The NSS Fund underwrites a distinctive combination of services seldom found at small colleges. It has introduced a new form of peer mentoring to campus: Neurodiverse students are matched with trained peer mentors who help them navigate college life, meet friends, and engage in social activities like hiking together. Maria observed, “Peer mentoring helps neurodiverse students overcome their social discomfort. It helps them branch out and build community so they feel a sense of belonging.”

Another new service sponsored by the NSS Fund is career development, specifically internships and career coaching for neurodiverse students. SMC faculty and staff have benefited from the fund, too: It has brought experts on teaching and serving neurodiverse students to campus to conduct much-​ appreciated trainings, and it has enabled staff to participate in a national conference on disability services. “It’s really exciting for our office to have these resources for creating programs that will help our students and be sustainable over time,” said Julie Scaff, Student Disability Services director. “The generosity of the Jameses is outstanding.”

Since Steve and Maria made their gift, other parents have stepped forward to augment the NSS Fund. “Everything comes down to the people at Saint Mary’s: their spirit, their desire to help students, their willingness to go beyond their jobs,” Steve said. “When you donate to this College, you know that your gift will be put to good use. It will change lives.”

—Dawn Cunningham

54 NEW ENDOWMENTS CREATED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, PROGRAMS, AND PROFESSORSHIPS

MORE THAN 350 STUDENTS BENEFITED FROM ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ALONE IN THE 2018–19 ACADEMIC YEAR

$21.5M RAISED FOR FUNDING COLLEGE OPERATIONS, SURPASSING OUR $21 MILLION GOAL

Defining the

FUTURE T h e C a m p a i g n f o r S a i n t M a r y ’s

• ­R A I S E D : $12 4 M I L L I ON • R E M A I N I N G : $1 M I L L I ON

$124M TOWARD A $125M GOAL FALL 2019 25

From left: Tania Roliz ’20, Quentin Smith ‘22, and Clarissa Mongcupa ‘21 appreciate support from the Hanon Foundation.

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The foundation inspires a new generation of students The Bill Hannon Foundation’s consistent and generous support of Saint Mary’s epitomizes the Catholic belief in the importance of education for all regardless of financial means. Honoring the values of its namesake, William H. Hannon, the foundation has contributed $750,000 to the Campaign, including $100,000 for the Library & Innovation Center and $650,000 in scholarships over the past eight years.

Every dollar of the Hannon Foundation’s scholarship giving has provided immediate aid to students, many of whom represent the first generation of their families to attend college. One of these is Clarissa Mongcupa ’21, an Allied Health Science major from Santa Ana. “If it weren’t for the Hannon Foundation’s help, I wouldn’t be able to afford this beautiful, life-changing institution,” she said. The daughter of Filipino immigrants who never finished high school, Mongcupa has served as a class senator and a student ambassador, among many campus roles.

“I am very proud to be a member of the Saint Mary’s College community,” she said.

Quentin Smith ’22, a first-generation student from Oakland, said, “The scholarship has helped me not to worry as much about finances and to focus on my learning.” An Integral Program major, Smith volunteers with the Hidden Genius Project, a group dedicated to teaching black male youth coding and leadership skills.

More than 90 percent of full-time undergraduates at Saint Mary’s receive financial aid, and over one-third of these are the first in their families to attend college. The College is exceptionally adept at helping these students achieve academic success: 73 percent of first-generation college students at Saint Mary’s

SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE

graduate within six years compared to only 48 percent across the nation.

“As our Campaign approaches its finale and we consider the impact of our donors, we are deeply moved by the difference the Bill Hannon Foundation has made in our students’ journeys to Commencement,” said Vice President for Advancement Lisa Moore ’96. “Because the foundation has given unrestricted scholarships, we’ve had the flexibility to target this aid to those who need it most and help them overcome financial barriers to academic success. The Bill Hannon Foundation has been a leading institutional partner in our mission to offer a Saint Mary’s education to qualified students regardless of their financial capacity.”

The foundation’s approach to philanthropy reflects the values and life history of founder William Hannon. In 1933, when Hannon was preparing to enter college in Los Angeles, his family couldn’t afford to pay tuition at the Catholic university he wanted to attend. His mother took the initiative of asking the university’s president to allow Hannon to study for free. The president agreed, and Hannon promised to repay the college.

He later achieved success as a real estate developer and made good on his promise many times over. He became a prominent philanthropist, funding his own alma mater as well as a wide range of Catholic schools and colleges in his lifetime. The Bill Hannon Foundation has continued his legacy.

At Saint Mary’s, the Hannon Foundation Scholarship is inspiring a new generation of students to pay it forward, just as Hannon did. Tania Roliz ’20 of Antioch is completing a BA in Justice, Community, and Leadership as well as a teaching credential. When she received her Hannon Foundation Scholarship, she said, “I felt like a big weight was lifted off of my shoulders. This has been a dream come true. I look forward to giving back and helping others when I graduate.”

—Dawn Cunningham

GERRY SERR AN O

❯❯

Bill Hannon Scholarship Supports Education for All

WE ARE LEADERSHIP DONORS TO SAINT MARY’S BECAUSE: — We believe in the value of a Lasallian education.

— We love the inclusive and diverse culture of the Saint Mary’s community.

— We believe in fostering a positive collegiate experience for future Gaels—and we want our son to see firsthand the power of giving back.­ — Anne ’10 and Jason ’07 Martin This fall, we invite you to join us…and become a leadership donor at Saint Mary’s. Learn more at stmarys-ca.edu/1863 or contact Suzie Swift ’05 at sts1@stmarys-ca.edu.

❯❯

THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAINT MARY’S, JOIN US!

CRED IT TK

Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s is the College’s most ambitious fundraising effort in its 156-year history. To date, $124 million has been raised toward our Campaign goal of $125 million. More than 26,000 individuals have participated with gifts of every size. With your help, we can reach our goal.

“I am most grateful to the thousands of donors who have already joined Saint Mary’s in this historic effort to raise $125 million. I see the impact each and every day through my interactions with both students and faculty, and couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve already come. The Campaign will be concluding in December, and I invite you to join us now as we prepare to celebrate the finale of Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s.”

Giving Is Easy: − VISIT STMARYS-CA.EDU/CAMPAIGN TO LEARN MORE − CONTACT OUR ADVANCEMENT TEAM SO WE CAN HELP YOU MATCH YOUR GIVING GOALS WITH SAINT MARY’S PRIORITIES: (925) 631-4509 − INCLUDE SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE IN YOUR WILL OR ESTATE PLAN − SEND A CHECK IN SUPPORT OF THE CAMPAIGN, OR USE THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE: SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE 1928 ST. MARY’S ROAD PMB 4300 MORAGA, CA 94575 − MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY BY VISITING STMARYS-CA.EDU/CAMPAIGN

—JAMES A. DONAHUE, SAINT MARY’S PRESIDENT FALL 2019 27

A — A L U M N I ­—

A Can-Do Leader Closes Her Policing Career

A COLLEGE PRESIDENT BREAKS BARRIERS

In July 2018, John Mosby ’94 reported for his first day of work as president of Highline College, a 58-year-old community school in the greater Seattle area. To Mosby, an award-winning educator with nearly a quarter-century of leadership experience, the occasion was doubly meaningful. “I’d had the goal of being a college president since I was a student at Saint Mary’s,” he said. In addition, Mosby was the first person of color ever named as Highline’s president.

Mosby, who has attended every one of his 25 class reunions at Saint Mary’s, credits his undergraduate education (during which he served as an RA, a hall director, on the Orientation leadership team, and more) with leading him to a life in service. Now, at Highline—a college recognized as Washington’s most racially diverse as well as one of the state’s largest—he has the opportunity to make an impact not only by action but also by example. “It’s breaking barriers, modeling that you can be a person of color and be a college president, be in a space that commits to you and welcomes you,” he said of his role. “It’s a dream come true.”

—Autumn Stephens

Susan Manheimer ’97 was working in radio when a robber held a knife to her toddler daughter. That led Manheimer to a new career in policing.

“I had two loves growing up: broadcast journalism and law enforcement,” said Manheimer. “It was so gratifying to go into policing and know I was protecting the community.”

Manheimer rose through the San Francisco Police Department ranks before assuming the job she will retire from this December: city of San Mateo chief of police.

Manheimer became its first woman police chief and the fourth statewide.

“There are always hurdles to overcome. I reacted with an absolute, resounding, ‘Oh yeah, I can do it.’ I just wanted to be great at what I wanted to do. I had a support network every step of the way,” said Manheimer.

She is proud to be the first and only woman to serve as president of the California Police Chiefs Association—and to have completed her bachelor’s degree in the same year her daughter graduated from high school.

“I came to Saint Mary’s simply to get a degree and ended up with a well-rounded education that has informed many of the strategies I’ve employed in my career,” said Manheimer, whose initiatives to address trauma and prevent crime in the community have been replicated elsewhere.

Retirement will permit more family time and travel. Describing the life of a police chief as intense and exhilarating, Manheimer said, “I’ve loved every minute, but it’s time to decompress.” —Amy DerBedrosian

A

Dave Perry ‘97 was delighted to have his father, Dennis Perry ‘64, attend his dissertation defense.

GERRY SERR AN O

Dave Perry Achieves a First at Saint Mary’s College Dave Perry ’97 has accomplished something that no other Gael has achieved. He holds the record for being awarded the most degrees from Saint Mary’s College.

Perry earned his BA in 1997, MBA in 2001, teaching credential in 2002, Administrator Certificate in 2004, MA in educational leadership also in 2004, and his EdD in 2019. His ascent from a doting freshman to Dr. Perry has been a blessed journey.

Perry entered Saint Mary’s in 1993 and quickly embraced all that the College had to offer. “The influence that the Brothers had on my life as a young collegian was life changing,” said Perry.

After graduating from Saint Mary’s

(the first time), Perry started working in banking and finance, and later decided to enroll in the evening MBA program. After completing his second degree, he decided to pursue his passion, which was education. Perry returned to Saint Mary’s and earned a teaching credential and Administrator Certificate and then decided to pursue a master’s in education leadership.

Fast-forward to 2009. “I had already become a principal at a pretty young age, but I wanted to do more. The thought of earning an EdD from Saint Mary’s was very appealing,” said Perry.

On May 25, 2019, Perry walked across the stage and was officially hooded, becoming Dave Perry, EdD. “When it was

time for me to defend my dissertation, I asked my chair, Heidi Marie Rambo, if my dad could attend. She said ‘absolutely,’ so I was able to have my dad, a Saint Mary’s alum, at my dissertation defense,” added Perry. His dissertation, “Open Wide the Door. Catholic Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Education,” was inspired by his work as a principal at Saint James Catholic School in Davis, Calif.

Perry is humbled to hold the title of most credentialed graduate from Saint Mary’s College. “It wasn’t something I set out to do,” said Perry. “If anything, I’m living proof that you can do whatever you put your mind to.” —Kay Carney

FALL 2019 29

A

Jessica Binzoni ‘10 talks to a brother and sister about the books they’ll be reading in their next year at school.

Alum Follows Her Calling to Iraq Today, there are more than 70 million displaced people around the world. Jessica Binzoni ’10 helps those in northern Iraq begin to rebuild their lives.

“I decided to work with displaced people because they are the most vulnerable and marginalized,” said Binzoni, founder of the nonprofit organization Hope + Future. “I am called to use the privilege inherent in the circumstances of my birth, my education, and the opportunities I have been given to alleviate suffering, champion justice and freedom for all people, and follow Jesus’ example of service.”

Her path to the Middle East began as a 20-year-old Saint Mary’s English major on a January Term study trip to a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem.

“I returned with absolute certainty that I would give my life’s work to serve displaced people in whatever way I 30

SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE

could,” she said. “Many people around me thought it was a sweet, if not idealistic, notion that would pass.”

But Binzoni never wavered. She earned a law degree, worked for a refugee rights organization in Palestine, and studied Arabic in Jordan before starting Hope + Future. Of all her experiences, Binzoni said, “My time at SMC was the first and strongest influence I had to move in this direction and take up this work. It was integral to my understanding of social justice and developing my current world view.”

In Iraq, she could work in a developing country that provided first refuge for displaced people fleeing their homes. Many of them lived outside refugee camps and lacked services. Binzoni noted, “I also wanted to go somewhere that few people would be willing to go because I was willing to go wherever there was need.”

Rather than providing humanitarian aid, Binzoni’s organization focuses on empowering displaced people with long-term tools. For now, that involves offering children access to education by establishing a student sponsorship program.

“Armed with an education, these children will have everything they need to become leaders, country rebuilders, and peacemakers,” said Binzoni, who has helped send 50 children to school this year and seen despairing families regain hope.

She is realistic, however, about the scope and persistence of need, noting, “There will continue to be displaced people in Iraq and the surrounding region for the foreseeable future. As long as they remain in the region, I will as well.” —Amy DerBedrosian

A

Justice for Peace Corps Veterans Jennifer Mamola ’08 “always wanted to be a lobbyist.” Today, that’s exactly what the California-born Peace Corps veteran is. But her route to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she advocates on behalf of a group called Health Care Justice for Peace Corps Volunteers, is not one that she would want to retrace.

“Peace Corps volunteers serve our country overseas, 24/7, on the front lines with no protection,” said Mamola, who in 2013 was severely injured by a drunk driver while walking to a Peace Corps training in Uganda. (A close friend was killed in the accident.)

“We should receive similar benefits to veterans,” she continued. “Soft power is just as important as hard.” But like thousands of other Peace Corps veterans, Mamola said, she had to fight for government coverage for her basic needs, including the four surgeries she had to undergo.

Mamola saw her lobbying pay off in 2018 when Congress passed a bill expanding some medical benefits for returning volunteers. Now, she’s focusing her efforts on new legislation sponsored by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) that includes workers’ compensation and other issues in addition to health care. “Sometimes I sound like a broken record,” Mamola said. “But I appreciate the opportunity to speak out.”

—Autumn Stephens

2019 Dec. 4 East Bay Christmas Party, 6 p.m., Drake’s Dealership, Oakland Dec. 8 MBB SMC vs Dayton Pre-Game Party, 11 a.m., Phoenix, Ariz.

Dec. 12 Sacramento Christmas Party, 6 p.m., home of Rena Fischer ’99 Dec. 14 MBB SMC vs Cal Pre-Game Party, 5:30 p.m., Beta Lounge, Berkeley Dec. 21 MBB SMC vs Nevada Pre-Game Party, 5:30 p.m., Magnolia Brewing; game, 9:30 p.m., Chase Center S.F.

2020 Jan. 29 Future Gaels Reception & Charlotte’s Web, 5 p.m., LeFevre Theatre Feb. 15 Distinguished Alumni and Hall of Fame Awards March 6–10 WCC Championships, Las Vegas April 2 1Day1SMC June 19 Music on the Lawn, 6 p.m., Chapel Lawn Aug. 15 Summer Wine Festival, 2 p.m., Soda Center

ALUM N I: CALI GO D LEY

Jennifer Mamola ’08 advocates on behalf of Health Care Justice for Peace Corp Volunteers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FALL 2019 31

A ALUMNI EVENTS REUNION, JULY 12–14 Alumni celebrating years ’9 and ’4, and many others, enjoyed a weekend of camaraderie, reminiscing, good food, and conversation at Saint Mary’s. Reunion year classes donated over $2.1 million to Saint Mary’s College.

MUSIC ON THE LAWN, JUNE 14 The Chapel Lawn was abuzz with over 400 alumni, parents, children, and community members dancing to the Bay Area’s best party band, Pride & Joy.

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CALI GO D LEY

SUMMER WINE FESTIVAL, AUG. 10 The 15th Annual Summer Wine Festival showcased our Gaels in Wine Chapter as well as local breweries and food purveyors.

The afternoon raised almost $20,000 for the alumni legacy scholarships.

G

— G L I M PS E S — ­

Degree Key ECR Education Credential EdD Doctor of Education EE Extended Education EMBA Executive MBA HON Honorary MBA Graduate Business MC Counseling ME Graduate Education MFA Fine Arts ML Leadership MLS Liberal Studies MS Science MT Theology and Religious Studies N Nursing P Paralegal Certificate

To see additional Glimpses photos, visit stmarys-ca.edu/glimpses.

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Stay up to date! Most of our communications happen online—and we don’t want you to miss out.

Sign up to receive emails from us at stmarys-ca.edu/emailsignup.

5

1925

Louis J. DaMassa was recently elected to the Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes graduates and others associated with Oroville high schools who distinguished themselves by their contributions to “career, community service, and/or society as a whole.” Louis was the first of four generations of members of two related Oroville families to attend Saint Mary’s College. His niece’s husband, Bob Powers ’50, is also a member of the OUHSD Hall of Fame. The oldest of Bob’s children, Brian Powers ’73, practiced law for 37 years in Sacramento and throughout Northern California. Maggie

Powers ‘14, Bob’s granddaughter, is a student at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Ore.

appointed to New York Life’s Executive Management Committee in December 2015.

1967

1985

that he is retired and that his fifth grandchild arrived in 2018 in Greece. He is now traveling in Athens.

“God is good—and a Gael!” says Dick.

third book, Plague of Corruption, cowritten with Judy Mikovits, is being released

by Skyhorse Press on Nov. 5, 2019.

The book has been endorsed by Dr. Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize winner in science for his discovery of the HIV retrovirus.

1 Dick Moore reports

1983

2 Mark Madgett

is executive vice president and head of agency in charge of New York Life’s career agency distribution system, which comprises approximately 12,000 agents affiliated with 116 general offices across the country, as well as the business units that provide strategy and support for the company’s agents and field managers. He was

3 Kent Heckenlively’s

1988

4 Don Hudson was

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4

recently promoted to assistant city manager for the city of Tualatin, Ore. Don has been the finance

FALL 2019 33

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7

director for the city since 2008. While still acting as the city’s finance director, he will have a higher level of responsibility supporting the city manager, the city council, and the entire organization.

He will also serve as the primary advisor to the internal service functions of the city.

Don is a past president of the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association and current chair of the League of Oregon Cities Finance & Taxation Committee.

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5 Michael Robbins

retired after 30 years as an active duty and reserve naval aviator.

During his career, he supported operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.

He and family (Stacy, Laura, and Sean) live in San Diego, and he is a 737 captain for United Airlines.

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1999

6 Joe Manifesto sent

this photo of the Saint Mary’s College Wine Festival with alumni and friends. Left to right: SMC’s very own and talented pianist, Ronnie Willet ’05, MBA ’07; Joe and his wife, Rachel; Josh Wight; and Erin Feisler (friends who were part of the 40-ton plastic waste

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SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE

removal from the “Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch”); Michelle Nelson and Brandon Nelson ’99.

2005

Saint Mary’s alumni represented SMC during College Week at Los Medanos Elementary in Pittsburg, Calif.: James Marzan ’15, Alexis Muela ’09, Milagros Estrada ’14, Emma Arellano-​ Flores ’05, Brianna Lampe Howard ’14, and Michelle Allen Turner ’96.

Jessica Porras and her wife, Katie, welcomed identical twin girls, Hazel Marion and Cecily Margaret, on Jan. 3, 2019. And big brother, Theo (age 3), couldn’t be more proud of his little sisters! They reside in Arlington, Va.

2006

7 Andrew and Kayla

(Banion) Wiechert welcomed their second son, Keane, on Nov. 28, 2018.

Together with big brother Alton, they rooted for the Gaels during March Madness from their home in Laguna Beach.

8 Mary Barnes left

private practice to work as an attorney for the Department of Health Care Services

in Sacramento. Her spouse, Jonathan Morales ’06, works as a writer at Sacramento State. In 2018, they bought their first home and rescued a lab-heeler, Ben. In her free time, Mary manages Sacramento Cake4Kids, a nonprofit whose volunteers bake and deliver birthday cakes to foster and at-risk youth.

2007

9 Adventure nov-

elist Jeff White has published his first action-thriller, Shark Alley. Many scenes depicted occur between Mount Diablo and Monterey. He weaves his passion for cycling into a current-day storyline, which includes the main character’s aging father, cyber criminals, and a creative delivery of justice.

He will be available at several Meet the Author events in the Bay Area and would enjoy conversing.

2008

10 Natalie Boltz

reports: “Mark proposed in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower before a wine cruise through Bordeaux for my work!”

G 10

2009

Michael Cullen accepted the position of Nevada political director with Secretary Julián Castro’s presidential campaign.

11 Eleanor Mills

Eldredge, husband Adam, and big sister Sofia welcomed Easton Adam Mills on Feb. 7, 2019. All are delighted!

12 Jenna (Zack) Prid-

more and husband Nik welcomed a new baby this summer.

Annika June Pridmore was born on Aug. 2, 2019. All are happy and healthy.

13 Mary (Heady)

Esser and Nicholas Esser had a fun wedding March 21, 2019, in Hawaii. After graduation, Mary completed medical school at Des Moines University COM. In June 2019, she finished with her family medicine residency program and signed with Franciscan Medical Group to work as an FM physician in Washington.

Nicholas completed a joint MSPAS/MPH Program at Touro University in Vallejo in 2015. He has

been working as an ER physician assistant. Nic is beyond excited to move back to his home state with Mary. They have two dogs: Atlas and Ajax.

2014

14 Faith Fermin

and Dan have been together for five years after meeting at SMC. They have moved from Moraga to Sacramento and are now settled in Long Beach. Since graduating from SMC, Faith has earned a graduate degree in physical therapy at Chapman University.

Fast-forward three years: She recently passed the NPTE and received her license for physical therapy.

Now she is working full time and per diem at two different skilled nursing facilities.

She even brings her puppy, Kovu, to work with her, as he recently became certified as a service dog. He helps her with interventions with patients, improving patients’ balance

15

by having them give him treats in different directions, and helps carry tools she needs for evaluations.

15 Karen Trang

recently graduated from Stanford Medical School with her MD and is now residing in San Francisco to complete her residency training in general surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

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2015

16 Paige E. Gilliard

graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in May 2019. There, she received the Notre Dame Faculty Award of Excellence for Deposition Skills (fall 2018) and served as managing senior editor of the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy.

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IN MEMORIAM

A much beloved professor, colleague, and friend, Hisham Ahmed had a profound impact on the Politics Department and Saint Mary’s College in the many positions he held here for 13 years.

Born in the Deheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem, Palestine, in 1963, Ahmed was a committed advocate for the human rights of the Palestinian people. A prodigious scholar of Middle East politics, international relations, terrorism, and the Hamas movement, he authored two books, and dozens of book chapters and scholarly articles in English and Arabic. His latest research project was focused on the refugee crisis and wider war in Syria. His depth of knowledge and his clear, analytical, and evenhanded approach made him a recognized and valued authority on Palestinian and Middle East affairs,

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and he was featured prominently in the media on domestic and international television and radio programs.

In 2017–18, he was honored with Saint Mary’s Outstanding Scholar Award. He also wrote poetry and was well versed in Arabic poetry and literature.

Ahmed taught courses on international relations, comparative politics, and Middle East politics, and he added new courses, including the Dynamics of Terrorism, and Culture and Society in the Arab World.

During his tenure at the College, he served as chair of the Politics Department, chair of the Academic Senate, and on 20 campus committees. He earned the highest respect from his faculty colleagues for his sharp intellect, measured demeanor, and keen wit.

Ahmed’s career objective on his CV

was “to enhance international understanding through teaching and research,” and his life demonstrated that calling.

He helped found several international bodies to enhance peace, democracy, and human rights in the Middle East. In 1995, in an extraordinary act of courage and commitment, Ahmed persuaded the owner of two bulldozers to topple the fenced wall that surrounded the refugee camp where he was born. Ahmed rode shotgun on one of the bulldozers.

Reflecting on it years later, he noted, “When I think about it today, nothing makes me happier.”

In his life’s work as a teacher, scholar, and advocate, and in his personal relationships, Ahmed worked to remove walls, build trust, and empower others.

He spoke truth to power and wedded reason with empathy. He was a man of deep integrity who pursued high ideals and firmly believed that the implausible is not impossible and that appearances are often deceiving.

Ahmed was a loving husband and father and is survived by his wife, Amneh, and their two school-aged children, Noor and Ahmed. His wonderful sense of humor revealed his playful nature and his belief that his disability was an inconvenience but hardly an impediment to living a full life.

Ahmed touched and inspired the hearts of those who knew him, and we are all saddened by his passing. He will be deeply missed by Saint Mary’s faculty, staff, and students alike.

— Ron Ahnen, Patrizia Longo, and Suzi Weissman

GERRY SERR AN O

Professor Hisham Hussein Ahmed Enhanced International Understanding

BROTH ER STAN: GERRY SERR AN O

Remembering Brother Stan A full chapel of family, friends, and colleagues attended the Mont La Salle, Napa, funeral mass for Brother Stanislaus Sobczyk, FSC, on Saturday, Aug. 3. He was a beloved leader and educator who served in both the Midwest and San Francisco New Orleans Districts.

Born in 1944 in Omaha, Neb., as John Michael Sobczyk, Brother Stan became a Christian Brother in 1963, serving for more than 55 years by the time of his death on July 22, 2019. He was known for his leadership skills, including his time as president of the School of Applied Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and as vice president for Development at Saint Mary’s College.

“Brother Stan had an incredible ability to read the dynamics of people, groups, issues, contexts, and history and was the person that I would always go to, to get insights and understandings…” said SMC President James A. Donahue.

“He…would offer creative solutions to whatever were the problems at hand.”

From his earliest assignment as an Illinois high school teacher in 1966 to twice serving as president of Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Brother Stan rose to numerous challenges. After serving three times at Saint Mary’s in teaching and administrative roles, he returned a fourth time to live in retirement in the Joseph Alemany Community. Here, Brother Stan worked as a host and San Francisco tour guide. “He took the greatest pleasure in driving us to see things we knew and showing us sights we never knew were there,” said Brother Michael Meister, FSC, including the Roosevelt Tamale Parlor in the Outer Mission. “They had a reserved table for the Brother Stan Tour,” he said.

Brother Michael said that everyone at the funeral had a diploma, not from the university, but the Universe...of Stan. “He was a grand person to know and live with, and his generous heart was as grand as his universe.”

—Ginny Prior

A DEDICATED PROFESSOR: NAOMI SCHWARTZ

For most of her 35 years at the College, Naomi Schwartz collected and sold antiques on weekends and in the summer. A quick walk through her house and you’d see she had an eye for overlooked treasures. This proved true in the classroom as well, where she specialized in helping reluctant and struggling writers find their voices. “You can’t help everyone,” she said once, “but you can try.”

Such humble generosity came in a loud package. Even if you didn’t know Schwartz’s name, you’d likely recognize her walking the corridors between classes, wearing vintage blouses and long skirts, her hair a wild disarray.

She had an office but rarely used it. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she’d be in the dining hall, back left table, bent over papers and surrounded by students. “You have to go to them. Students are more comfortable here,” she told me, more than once, raising her arms like a conductor to the noise and lunchtime bustle, “so I go to them.” Her ability to meet students where they were—academically and emotionally—was one of her greatest gifts. She was also an accomplished poet and a tireless editor. I’m not the only writer and colleague who learned to trust her instincts and ear for language. She gave us all voice. Found value in each of us.

“If we ever put up a statue of Naomi, it would have to be with a sheaf of papers in her hand. She honored students with her intense focus on their productions,” said Professor of Religious Studies Paul Giurlanda. “I’ve never met anybody who cared more.”

Schwartz is survived by her husband, Jack, and two stepsons. She will be deeply missed by her colleagues and students alike. She loved Saint Mary’s and was well-loved in return.

See the website for a chorus of testimonials affirming her legacy. —Mary Volmer

FALL 2019 37

IN MEMORIAM

Brother Martin Ash, FSC

Our prayers are earnestly requested for the repose of the soul of Brother Martin Ash, FSC, who died peacefully at Mont La Salle in Napa on May 24, 2019, after complications related to contracting pneumonia.

Brother Martin’s ministry with alumni at the College and in collaboration with the Advancement Office made an important contribution to Saint Mary’s from 2009 to 2016. In the 1970s and ’80s, he also resided at Saint Mary’s and

worked at Bright Day Travel, assisting with the travel needs of many Saint Mary’s administrators, faculty, staff, and students, as well as Brothers throughout the United States.

Brother Martin’s life as a Brother extended over 60 years. After graduating from Saint Mary’s College in 1962, he was assigned to teach at La Salle High School in Pasadena. He returned to Saint Mary’s to work in Student Activities in 1970 and had a number of responsibilities related to student life until 1982, when he began his work with Bright Day Travel, assuming the presidency of this organization in 1985. From 2000 to 2003, Brother Martin organized pilgrimages to various Lasallian historical locations.

Brother Martin is predeceased by his parents, Charles and Margaret Ash, as well as two brothers who were also Christian Brothers, Brother Warren Ash, FSC, and Brother James Ash, FSC. He is survived by his sister, Marge Burke, who resides in Concord, Calif.

Funeral services took place on Saturday, June 8, at Mont La Salle.

—James A. Donahue

The Advancement team at Saint Mary’s is sad to announce the passing of our dear colleague, Michele Prisk, who is now at peace following a long illness. We also hold close in our hearts her husband, Steve Erquiaga, and her daughter, Nina.

In her role as the director of stewardship, Prisk infused her work with creativity, professionalism, and grace.

Throughout her 10 years of service to Saint Mary’s, she was responsible for celebrating philanthropy through strategic acknowledgment and recognition programs for the College’s donors. Most recently, she led our efforts to steward the generosity of donors contributing to Defining the Future: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s.

As one of the longest-serving members of the Advancement team, Prisk remained steadfast in her work. She maintained seamless productivity at work while quietly managing family and health priorities—always with a positive outlook, a helpful and healthy perspective, a strong sense of responsibility, and pride in her contributions to our team.

Prisk began her professional career working for the San Francisco Symphony and dedicated more than 19 years directing marketing and sales efforts for that venerable institution.

Her legacy to the College will manifest in both subtle and meaningful ways for years to come.

—Lisa M. Moore ’96

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Theatre Professor Reid Davis Former Saint Mary’s faculty member Reid Davis died on June 20. Davis taught primarily in the Performing Arts Department from 2005 to 2015, and directed a number of significant productions (including Urinetown, Sweeney Todd, Spring Awakening, and Angels in America). He founded SMC’s cocurricular Interactive Theatre Troupe, served as a board member and instructor in the Ethnic Studies Program, taught courses in Seminar and Communication, and spearheaded important diversity and inclusion initiatives for the Office of the Provost. Davis was also instrumental in founding and supporting The Bash, Lavender Graduation, and other programs to help LGBTQIA students find strength in community.

“Reid was a highly regarded and beloved colleague, a mentor to many students, and a campus leader who made a striking impact for positive change on the campus,” said Vice President for Mission Frances Sweeney.

“Reid’s decision to produce Angels in America was already courageous. That he was able to work with our students to create such a brilliant, moving performance was a milestone, both in the history of SMC Theatre and in SMC’s inclusion of LGBTQ people,” said Professor of Theology & Religious Studies Paul Giurlanda.

—Linda Lenhoff

JIM COLLINS

Jim Collins ’63 died peacefully at his Alameda home on May 31. He directed and taught in the Collegiate Seminar program’s formative years from the late 1960s to mid-’70s. As a faculty member, Collins directed a Euripides production and acted in Shakespearean plays directed by Professor Emeritus Theodora Carlile.

After his time at Saint Mary’s, Collins graduated from UC Berkeley School of Law and worked as a corporate attorney, then with the Environmental Protection Agency for almost two decades.

He returned to the College to teach evenings. Collins reluctantly retired from the EPA in late 2018 when his health failed.

Collins will be missed by his son, Nick Grant-Collins (Bronwen); grandson Austin; his wife, Sheila Riley, class of ‘75; many Collins and Riley family members, including his brother-in-law, SMC professor Michael Riley ’72; and countless colleagues, former students, and friends. —Sheila Riley ’75

ALUMNI

Henry D. Alau ’64, parent of Elspeth “Maile” E. M. Alau ’93 Brother E. Martin Ash, FSC ’62, brother of Brother T. Warren Ash, FSC ’53† and Brother T. James Ash, FSC ’59† Alfred L. Beasley ’51 James R. Bellor ’51 Louis A. Bradvica ’50, parent of Michael L. Bradvica ’83, Stephen G. Bradvica ’83, Andrew L. Bradvica ’88; father-in-law of Gretchen M. Bradvica ‘83 and Carolyn A. Lindstrom ‘88; grandfather of Thomas A. Bradvica ‘21 Richard C. Brown ’58 John J. Cassidy Jr. ’68 Philip S. Chiang ’69 James C. Collins Jr. ’63, spouse of Sheila M. Riley ’75; brother of Christopher P. Collins ’72†; brother-in-law of Brendan P. Riley ‘67, Michael W. Riley ‘72, Megan McGilchrist ‘77; and son-in-law of Wyman Riley ‘38† Philip A. Distanislao ’45 Jerry M. Elledge ’07 Lewis R. Figone ’52, parent of Richard L. Figone ’90, brother of Richard L. Figone ’61, and uncle of Mark T. Figone MBA ’99 William C. Fitzgerald ’56, parent of Brenna L. Fitzgerald ’90 Robert O. Fouts ’43 Charles “Duke” S. Hardeman Sr. ’45 Robert E. Jernigan ’81, parent of Kelly J. Jernigan-Neves ’89, father-in-law of Dr. Robert B.

Neves ’89 David G. Johnson ’98 Donald J. Johnson ’66, parent of Jennifer A. Cooper ’94 and Jeffrey G. Johnson ’97 Brian A. Kelly ’63 Helen G. Laird MA ’90 Arthur C. Latno Jr. HON, parent of Mary S. Latno ’82 Maurice D. Marsolais ’57 Daniel P. McGeehan ’51 Paul M. Monahan ’61, parent of Brendan V. Monahan ’88 Daniel J. Murphy MBA ’88 James B. Page ’51 Gerald A. Phillips ’56, parent of Gregory C. Phillips ’94 and Heather L. Cola ’96 Kevin M. Ramirez ’69, son of Ralph M. Ramirez ’33† Monica Rinaldi Semerdjian ’93, sister of Julia M. Rinaldi ’91 Yolande L. Rowe ’73 John F. Sousa ’51, grandparent of Kimberly A. Sousa ’02 William C. Spalding ’60 Jon R. Swan ’60 John A. Tagg ’50 PARENTS

Mary S. Cardwell, mother of Brother Kenneth W. Cardwell, FSC ’71 Sheila Corry, grandmother of Jennifer A. Corry ’14 Shirley M. Detrick, grandmother of Denise M. Daly ’95 Roy A. Drury Sr., father of William Drury ‘89 Mario Galetto, mother of Paul S. Galetto ’87 Julia A. Kolhede, mother of Eric Kolhede, faculty,

and grandmother of Jennifer M. Kolhede ’03 Robert A. Lawrence, father of Jeffrey R. Lawrence ’87 Robert B. Mitchell, father of Rebecca J. Meshna ‘85† and grandfather of Micaela Cruciano ’05 Deborah L. Myers, mother of Amber L. Hummel ’02 Mary R. Shepherd, mother of Timothy J. Shepherd ’87 Robert D. Simmons, father of Laura A. Brennan ’90 FRIENDS

Hisham H. Ahmed, former faculty Kenneth E. Behring Reid A. Davis, former faculty Irene Delucchi, spouse of William R. Delucchi ’50 Michele Prisk Erquiaga, former staff Linda Junge, spouse of William P. Junge ’65 Alice G. Marsolais, spouse of Maurice D. Marsolais ’57† Geraldine A. Meyer Edith “Dee” Mitchell Yolanda Moglia, cousin of Peter L. Spinetta ’63 Doris M. Mullin Mary J. Nigro, spouse of Louis V. Nigro ’50† Brother Stanislaus M. Sobczyk, FSC Mary “Trish” P. Souza, former staff, sister of Robert E. Ladouceur MA ’89, Thomas J. Ladouceur Jr. ’75, Suzanne L. Ladouceur ’78; aunt of Veronica C. Cazin ’92; and great aunt of Dylan T. Cazin ’23 Naomi Schwartz, former faculty Nancy Tierney

FALL 2019 39

V

— VIEWPOINT — ­

JENNIFER M. PIGZA

Director of Saint Mary’s Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA)

Audacious Goals and Grace I have always been attracted to big, audacious goals, and when I first learned about Saint Mary’s College and its vision for CILSA, I was inspired. Almost 15 years later, I continue to be inspired each and every day.

In the spring of 2005, I met Janet “Lucie” Luce, founding director of CILSA. It was a moment of grace for me and my professional path.

As a liberal arts graduate, I was ready to return to a place that valued big ideas, intimate conversations, and integrated learning. I was completing my doctorate in education, with a focus on teaching and learning for social justice, and CILSA’s purpose to build a culture of service and social justice education resonated deeply. I was energized by imagining new ways of bringing to life the Lasallian tradition and Catholic social teaching in classrooms and communities. And finally, 40

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HEART

HANDS

CILSA fosters students’ intellectual development, content knowledge, and capacities for critical reflection about issues of justice and pathways for change.

CILSA supports students’ emotional engagement and meaning-making in service; students also explore their growing sense of purpose and vocation.

Through CILSA, students engage in practical action in the world to apply knowledge, to explore skills and interests, and to learn about social justice while contributing to the common good.

I yearned to be part of a team of people dedicated to transforming students and the very nature of education.

That coffee talk with Lucie is emblematic of CILSA’s efforts past and present: through conversations about things that matter, through the alignment of values with action, through coalition building toward the mutual goals of student learning and community development.

We take small actions toward big visions.

We encourage students to lead. We take our cues from community partners. We learn from our mistakes.

In the course of 20 years, CILSA has earned national recognition for our efforts. More important, however, are the nearly 1,000 students who have been transformed through our signature programs like Bonner Leaders, Social Action Leadership Team, Engaged Learning Facilitators, Jumpstart, Public Service Internship, and MICAH Summer Fellowship. These students engage in service and deepen their practice of leadership. As alumni, they are now living those values in their daily lives.

And across campus, through the community engagement component of the Core Curriculum, approximately 800 students each year connect academic learning with community-based actions, all of which is supported by CILSA.

As CILSA celebrates our 20th anniversary, I am grateful for the students, faculty, staff, and community partners who gave us our start. These pioneers had big visions for CILSA, but more importantly, they had big visions for how the College—and communities—could be transformed by deepening a culture of service and social justice education.

CILSA’s vision today is an expansion of this initial audacious goal. I think our founders would be proud.

As I reflect on the closing celebration of #300LaSalle and the legacy of Lasallian education, I think the Founder, De La Salle, would be proud of CILSA, too. De La Salle offers us insight about what it means to embrace the future, to dream big, and to face adversity. De La Salle reminds us: “You can do more with the grace of God than you think.” Which is good. And comforting. And energizing.

CILSA’s vision is that we are working toward the day when all people collaborate to enact social justice, inclusion, and sustainability in every aspect of life. This vision isn’t just for CILSA; it’s for all of us. We can do more with the grace of God than we think. And that’s encouraging, when we have audacious visions like that.

Jennifer M. Pigza, PhD, is the director of CILSA and welcomes coffee talks about audacious goals and grace anytime.

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POSTCARD — KISS AND CRY —

Austin Parlett ’23 gets a warm send-off from his parents during the Week of Welcome Farewell Barbecue in September held on the Saint Mary’s Chapel Lawn. A number of other first-year students found themselves in similarly affectionate situations throughout the day, as they prepared to become part of the Saint Mary’s experience.

GERRY SERR AN O

GOOD-BYES AT SAINT MARY’S